My landscaping ...

[SnoFalls]

Thought I'd share with the "landscaping" I'm slowly getting done ...

Site is 5ac, east (long) side has a steep hill dropping to a "bottom" 1.5ac (with a creek flowing just past the prop line), north side has a steep ravine dropping to a creek, drive enters from the "upper" south end, goes past the shop (24x50x16), over a culvert to the house (small ... 1600sf). The property was logged of the old growth western red cedar around 1900, and then again around 1960.

Here's some pics ... (most can click for bigger versions)

First, the "Before"

(a view from the southwest corner looking up the drive)


(a view from the middle of the drive ... yup there is a house back there)


(a view of the shop from the middle of the drive)

 

[SnoFalls]

A few years ago, we had a scary windstorm ...
http://www.avalonforest.net/storm-12-04-03/

 

[Highbeam]

That wind is a bugger. How about the water these days?

 

[SnoFalls]

heh, yea 3 weeks solid (and counting) means the ground is saturated ... thankfully its sandy under about 4-6" of topsoil ... so no mudslides! The high winds on this ridge are enuf thank you!

 

[SnoFalls]

So ... anyway, last summer, I had a bit of "trimming" around the place ...


(got wood? dem are 35' footers of doug fir and w.r. cedar ... aka the $$$ trees)


(an "enterence view" after a load went out ... starting to open up)


(a big boy was brought in ... even he had to work to get some old growth stumps out!)


(rough clearing ... 1/2ac full of stumps ... ex200 pulled/piled/graded it all in 3 hours!)

After the "thinning", I still have a nice canopy, but harvested some of the $$$ trees that threatened buildings, vehicles, and people!

Since I was doing "thinning" not "logging", I didn't get as big a split for the timber as I mighta (more labor than strippin the place, so ...), but still total harvest was around $10g's, and my split got stumps pulled by the ex200 and left a decent chunk of change in my pocket.

Now, I still have some mess, but that is why I'm getting a TLB /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[SnoFalls]

The ex200 also cleared out some "trash" from an area I hope to "restore" ...


(this is dry during summer, but considerable flow during winter!)

Possibly a series of "natural: looking seasonal ponds? I dunno if I have a "before, but this area was full of "trash" (stumps, broken concrete, scrap metal ... and it's a "highly" visible part of the landscape ... begged for restoration.

 

[SnoFalls]

Oh, and ... the *day* that the excavator was on site cost me some coin, but money WELL spent. I could point at a stump, and then where to thow it, and the operator would pluck it out (24" cutoff or smaller was easy), and toss it to a pile, or a hole for burial. 8 hours got me probably 2ac of stump free land. (I also got a *deal* on that at $1800 for the day!)

 

[SnoFalls]

I have *lots* todo this summer.

First is get a machine ... probably a kubota L39 ...

Next is start to burn/bury the brush /stumps leftover. Some of that will be plucking the "trash piles" over to a burn site, some will be thowing it into a shallow (<3') ravine for burial with soil from a mound (about 4' tall by 20x50) from around the house.

I wanna make some parking "pads" next to the shop (one nasty stump is between the shop and its septic lines ) ...

Level off the area next to the main level of the house (aka cut there, bury other places)

Then I can repair the area to appear almost "natural" ... maybe a small lawn here or there, but would be happy with ferns and "old growth" underplating for the most part ...

 

[LarryD]

<font color="blue"> Possibly a series of "natural: looking seasonal ponds? </font>

A pond or two there would make a beautiful little habitat, might have to build a small gazebo to observe the wildlife with a cup of coffee.

 

[Highbeam]

Let's see if you noticed what I did. People tell you that trees drink the water and that if you cut the trees that you will get a swamp or at least swampier land. Well in my experience, the removal of trees dried things out big time. Wind, sun, and fine grading makes the water go away much faster. Your house will likely be drier, not covered in algae, and the septic may actually function better. Your roof will dry out sooner too after rain.

Have you noticed any changes since tree removal?

I also had a logger harvest trees and then for my half of the profits, he removed stumps and burned all the slash. I ended up actually throwing some cash in the pot because the trees weren't as nice as yours. But the increase in land value from that whole operation far exceeded the cash I threw in the pot.

That 200 class excavator is in the medium size range. They get much bigger for land clearing. Sure would be handy to have one around the house eh?

 

[LarryD]

I think you meant to direct that question to SnoFalls, my property was clearcut in 95 so there wasn't ANY marketable timber on my parcel.

But I have to agree with your observation regarding thinning and water dispersal. I thinned to about 8' to 10' between trees and the ground seems to dry out quicker (not today though ) typically. Filled in the low spots and put out grass seed, no more puddles.

My house also sits at the top of a knoll so water runs away quickly and the sun keeps the moss growth limited to a small area on the north side that the house casts a shadow on year round. Not nearly as bad as homes I've seen tucked away in a small clearing of large firs.

 

[SnoFalls]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Let's see if you noticed what I did. People tell you that trees drink the water and that if you cut the trees that you will get a swamp or at least swampier land. Well in my experience, the removal of trees dried things out big time. Wind, sun, and fine grading makes the water go away much faster. Your house will likely be drier, not covered in algae, and the septic may actually function better. Your roof will dry out sooner too after rain.

Have you noticed any changes since tree removal? )</font>

yea, now I only need to cean gutters once during the winter rather than every other day /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I never really had standing water around, but it is nicer to get more sun (especialy in the winter).